The Next Generation
by PottyforPotter7
Summary: Finishing where the epilogue left off, Rose and Albus are excited to be going to Hogwarts. But despite all the new classes and friends, Rose can't help but often notice a pale boy in her year. And he's finding it difficult not to notice her too...
1. Chapter 1

**(A/N) Another story, this time about the Golden Trio's children! Finishing where the Deathly Hallows epilogue left off, Rose and Albus are getting ready to experience Hogwarts for the first time, and they find their lives are about to change before they even get there! Hope you enjoy! :) xxx**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter One<span>

Rose Weasley gave her parents one final hug before she ran onto the train to join Albus Potter. As she jumped on, in the moment after her feet had left the platform but not quite met the carriage floor, she glanced to her right. She instantly noticed a face she had already seen earlier on the platform. A pale, pointed face with blonde hair: Scorpius Malfoy. Rose had heard enough stories from her parents and Aunt and Uncle to know that her family and theirs had a history of not getting along. In fact, that was probably an understatement. But that didn't mean it would be the same with them, did it? Scorpius suddenly turned and for a split second they were both looking directly at each other. She had to admit, he was a fairly cute boy. Before she could think anymore about him, though, she gracefully landed on the train and Albus grabbed her arm to pull her further in.

"So, should we go find a compartment then?" asked Albus.

"Yes, before they become too full." she replied, passing Albus and beginning to move down the corridor in search of a compartment.

"I still can't believe it" Albus said, smiling, and seeing Rose's confused look he added, "Being here. Actually being here on the Hogwarts Express, going to _Hogwarts!_"

Rose smiled too. "I know, it's amazing. I just hope the subjects aren't _too _hard."

Albus snorted. " 'Too hard'? You're Rose Weasley, when have you ever found a subject hard?"

Rose smiled in spite of herself, and they came to a compartment that only had one other student, a young blonde girl. Rose looked at Albus, who nodded in agreement, and slid open the door.

"Excuse me?" she asked timidly. "Do you mind? Everywhere else is full."

The girl shook her head and Rose and Albus took seats opposite each other closest to the door, where they sat in silence for a few minutes as the train left the station completely.

"My name is Jennifer just so you know," said the blonde girl in a very matter-of-fact way. "Jennifer Abbott"

"Oh, nice to meet you," said Albus. "I'm Albus Potter, and this is Rose Weasley."

The girl's eyes widened for a moment, then repeated in an almost calm but slightly surprised voice, "Potter? Weasley?"

"Um, yes" Albus replied, now sounding slightly nervous. "Why?"

"Well, are you or are you not one of _those_ Potter and Weasleys?"

Albus and Rose glanced at each other. Obviously they knew that their parents were well known, and considered very highly in the wizarding world, but they had never truly known the full story behind it. They certainly never had someone react to their names like that.

"Are you James's brother?" She asked impatiently, obviously getting bored with their lack of communication.

"Um...yes" Albus answered confused, and now looking like he would rather be in another compartment.

"I thought so," she replied. "I'm in his year, Ravenclaw. Well you are who I think you are then."

Apparently under the impression that that settled matters, she returned to reading her book, Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2.

Rose and Albus looked at each other, trying to figure out who would speak first. Finally, Rose plucked up the courage.

"I'm sorry, I don't quite understand. How do you know who we are? And actually, why is it such a great surprise to you?"

Jennifer put down her book with a sigh before turning to face them.

"Well you must know who your parents are? I mean, who they are to the rest of our world? I mean, they helped bring down the darkest wizard around, practically by themselves. And your father," now looking directly at Albus, "well he was the Chosen One. How can you not expect people to know who you are?"

Albus and Rose both had the same thought. 'Chosen One'? This was a lot further from what they had been told about their parents. Just then, James entered the compartment. Albus stood up instantly.

"Oi, what have you been telling everyone about our family? What is this 'Chosen One' nonsense? What lies have you spreading now?"

James looked a little confused but overall extremely relaxed and careless. He looked over Albus's shoulder to see Jennifer looking fairly amused.

"Hi Jen, I see you've been kind enough to fill my family in on who they're _really_ related to before I got a chance."

"Well frankly I'm surprised they didn't know. It was understandable when you came to Hogwarts, but I thought if you knew the rest of them would have been filled in."

Albus and Rose looked from James to Jennifer, fairly confused. Rose's temper was starting to rise, a clear sign that she was unhappy that she didn't understand something.

"Would you _please_ tell us what's going on?" she asked impatiently. "I think we have a right to know."

"Ok, ok Rosie," James laughed at his cousin, moving to take a seat next to Jennifer. "Albus, sit down already, you're not intimidating anyone."

Albus slowly sat down, not taking his eyes off James. Jennifer had now closed her book and sat it on her lap, paying full attention to the discussion in the compartment. James rubbed his chin then sat with his hands clasped between his knees.

"Ok, where to start...well obviously our parents were always good friends. Best friends, in fact. But no, maybe I should be starting further back than that..." He sighed and sat back against his chair. "You know about Voldemort obviously."

Albus and Rose nodded.

"Well, there was a prophecy that predicted his downfall when he was first at his most powerful, and he believed that killing our dad" he looked to Albus, "would prevent it coming true."  
>"WHAT!" Albus exploded.<p>

"Calm down, he survived didn't he? He was just a baby, and it's supposed that his mum's death was what saved him. Voldemort disappeared. But he didn't die. He kept finding ways to come back, but our dad, and your parents Rose, stopped him. Well, it was mostly dad" he added with a cheeky smile at Rose, who started to go red. "I'm pretty sure my parents played a large part..."  
>"How do you know, you've never heard this story? Ok, yeah, they did help a lot. Then at the end of their fourth year, he did come back. It was in their fifth year that dad heard the prophecy. After that it was all about destroying Voldemort once and for all. They went looking for these...things...um..."<p>

"Horcruxes" Jennifer filled in. All eyes darted to her. They contained pieces of Voldemort's soul."  
>"Yes, thank you Jennifer", James said annoyed, missing Rose's and Albus's jaws drop at the idea of Voldemort's soul split up into pieces. "I can tell the story just fine."<p>

"Well it looked like you needed help" she replied. "But fine, you continue."

"Our dad and your parents," he continued facing his family again, "looked for the horcruxes all over the country, and eventually returned to Hogwarts where the Final Battle took place, and dad defeated Voldemort. That's why they're so well known to everyone." He ended simply.

There was silence for a few moments before Rose spoke. "Why didn't they just tell us?"

"Don't know really. Guess they just thought it was best until you were older. Jeez, I don't think they even know _I_ know."

Rose and Albus sat there dumbstruck. They just couldn't process this new information. Their parents, their seemingly ordinary parents, had help defeat the darkest and most dangerous wizard of all time? It just didn't seem possible.

"So just so you know, you will get a lot of attention once people know who you are. They were mental when I arrived at school" he stated as he rose from his chair towards the door. "But then again, people are always going crazy around me" he added with a grin, and left the compartment, sliding the door behind him.

* * *

><p><strong>OK that chapter was pretty short, I promise they will get longer, but I'm still new to this whole fanfiction experience. Please review, and if you have any ideas, I'm more than happy to hear them :)<strong>


	2. Just As I Was Told

Chapter Two: Just As I Was Told

No-one had spoken for five minutes after they watched James exit the compartment. Jennifer had returned to her book and was quickly immersed, leaving Albus and Rose to quietly discuss what James had just told them.

"Do you think its true then? Everything he said?" Albus asked.

"Must be", Rose replied, "James wouldn't wind us up that much; it's a bit too extreme for him."  
>"I wouldn't put it past him," Albus grumbled.<p>

The Hogwarts Express continued through neat fields and rolling hillsides as they continued talking, only stopping when a food trolley past, pushed by a very old plump witch.

"Anything from the trolley, dears?" she asked kindly.

Jennifer instantly rose to purchase a pumpkin pasty. Albus bought a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans and returned to his seat, allowing Rose to move forwards and admire the selection. She was just about to ask for a Cauldron Cake when a voice spoke behind the elderly witch.

"Can I get a chocolate frog?"

The trolley witch turned slightly, allowing Rose to see who had spoken.

"I wasn't in my compartment when you passed" Scorpius Malfoy continued, oblivious to Rose's stares. Now that she was closer to him, she could see that considering him cute didn't do him justice. He was standing straight and proud, and had the air of someone who was well raised and a little bit spoilt. He had white blonde hair that reached his ears, and pale skin. Of course, she thought, he may not be as bad as the stories she had heard about his family, mostly from her father with some agreements from her uncle Harry, but that didn't mean he would be a very pleasant person, yet it was likely he would only be seen with a particular crowd.

"Of course dear" the witch answered, reaching over her trolley to pick one up. As she did that, Scorpius suddenly looked and spotted Rose, a slight look of surprise in his eyes when he realised he wasn't the only one at the trolley. Rose found she couldn't tear her eyes away from his, instead looking into an ice blue colour that she rather liked. He continued to stare at her, only looking away when he went to hand over some money, then giving her one last look before he turned away and returned up the rattling corridor. Rose continued to look at his retreating back, only breaking out her trance when the elderly witch asked what she would like to eat.

* * *

><p>After a few hours of discussing what Hogwarts would be like, which included plenty of information from Jennifer (who seemed only too happy to pass on knowledge to others), Rose and Albus decided it would be fun to wander down the train for a bit. When Albus initially suggested it to stretch their legs and meet fellow first years, Rose nodded in agreement, and she found her thoughts drifting to one particular first year a bit sharper than would probably be considered acceptable.<p>

"Oh, if you see James, would you tell him I'd like a word please?" Jennifer called to their backs as they slid the compartment door closed.

"What is it about my brother that makes every girl want to speak to him?" Albus muttered.

"Well, he's a charismatic person, Albus. He's just one of those people who everyone seems to like."

"Right, great."

Rose looked at him almost sympathetically. "You know everyone will like you too, Al. You're just the quieter type who everyone will come to when they need someone to listen."

Albus smiled a little at this. "Thanks Rose".

With Albus now looking a lot happier, they continued down the corridor, greeting kids who looked about their age. As they reached about midway, Albus stretched up as he noticed a kid with jet black hair walking away from them behind a large group of students.

"Oh, there's James – James! JAMES!"

Rose stood on her tip-toes so she could see too, and began joining in yelling for him.

"James!"

"JAMES!"

Finally he turned round, and quickly marched back to them, ignoring the looks they were getting for making such a noise.

"What is it? And why does the whole train have to know you're looking for me?"

"That girl – Jennifer – she wants a word with you" Albus replied simply.

"That's it? You deafened the whole carriage just to tell me that?"

"Deafened the whole _train _is more like it" came a cold voice from behind Rose.

Rose and Albus turned round to see the pale boy their parents had pointed out on the platform. Rose choked on a small gasp when she realised how close he was standing.

"Aren't you that Malfoy kid?" James asked, glaring at him.

"So what if I am?" He stared at James before continuing. "As a matter of fact I am, but I don't see what that has to do with you."

"Well I would appreciate it if you minded your own business. We're trying to have a family discussion here."

"Oh it that what it is? I was under the impression you had started a screaming competition. But good to know it's stopped, I was getting tired of her screeching" he said, inclining his head towards Rose.

"You watch your mouth, Malfoy." James spat, reaching into his pocket for his wand.

"Yeah, leave her alone." Albus jumped in, glancing at James and also grabbing his own wand.

"Guys, it's okay, James put your wand away you'll get into trouble! Albus, you don't even know any spells yet!"

Albus and James reluctantly lowered their wands, but didn't take their eyes off him, noticing that he had also drawn his wand but hadn't put it away.

Scorpius sneered. "Not very good body guards if they leave you all defenceless while I still have a wand."

"You don't scare me" Rose said back. "You're a first year like me, you can't know anything dangerous."

"Want a bet?" he retorted, and then sudden realisation dawned on his face. "Wait, did you say James and Albus?" He stared at the two boys and their matching black hair, and he almost began to laugh. "You're Potters!"

"So what if we are?" Albus shouted back, trying to sound brave.

"Oh and don't tell me" he said, ignoring Albus and turning back to Rose. "A Weasley? You may have avoided the red hair, but I can tell what you are. Well," he said, turning to face all of them. "I'll admit, you had me ever so slightly worried. But what did I have to be worried about? A couple of Potters and a Weasley. My father told me all about your families. But what your parents may have done doesn't save you from the fact that my family is far superior over yours."

Rose looked incredulously at him; James was shaking in anger and seemed unable to speak. Albus looked at him with no expression on his face, but quietly muttered "take that back."

"What?"

"I said, take that back."

"Why should I? Since when was it an offence to speak the truth?"

Rose just stared at him, her mouth open. How could see even have considered that he would be any different from his father? _It looks like all the stories you heard were true _she thought to herself, disappointed.

"It's a dirty great lie and you know it" James spoke, his voice shaking with fury. "Our family is ten times better than yours. As I seem to recall, your family was always on the dark side of the war. In fact, your family loved it."

"Don't talk about things you don't under-"

" 'Don't understand'? I think everyone understood perfectly. But remind me, which side won again? Oh yeah, the good side. Guess that makes your family a big bunch of losers in more ways than one."

There was a sudden flash, and before she could understand what had happened, Rose saw Scorpius's back retreating up the corridor, and see looked down to see James sprawled on his back.

"James! Are you okay?" She asked, bending down.

"The little git hexed me! If I wasn't standing unprepared I wouldn't have fallen over" he added hastily to shield his ego. "The spell wasn't that powerful, he's just a stupid first year."

Albus considered mocking him; it was so rare he got the chance to tease his older brother instead of the other way around. But he was still too mad at Scorpius to try. _Sometime later_ he thought, grinning to him himself.

"I'm going to see what Jennifer wants" James said, pushing himself off the ground and walking quickly down the corridor. Rose considered calling him back until he had calmed down – she was sure he was only walking so quickly because he hoped to catch up with Scorpius and get him back. But then again, maybe he deserved it. Just a little.

* * *

><p><strong>I hope you enjoyed chapter two! I had intended to make it longer, but it just felt right ending it there. I will definitely try and make the rest longer.<strong>

**I would just like to quickly say thank you to ARTtastic for being the first person to review this story (yay!), and I ask anyone else reading this to follow suit! It would make me very happy :)**


	3. An Unwelcome Beginning

**Chapter three is finally done! I had some trouble writing this (writers block at chapter three, not very promising for the rest of the story) but I just wasn't sure how much detail to go into. We all know how the first years arrived from Philosopher's Stone, and I didn't really want to write it all, and you probably wouldn't really want to read it again. Hopefully I've managed it ok. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter Three<span>

Albus and Rose spent the remainder of the journey in their compartment, hoping to avoid any more confrontation. Plus, just as James had predicted, they were starting to get interested looks from the other students, which made them feel rather uncomfortable. It was this attention that prompted Albus to say that it was obvious now why James had such a big head, since everyone was treating him like a celebrity.

Rose, however, found her thoughts were directed towards one person in particular. She knew it was impractical to judge someone from your first look at them, but she couldn't help but foolishly believe that he would be different. She didn't want to believe her father when he said Scorpius would be just like his father, who he described as 'an evil git'. He didn't speak much when they were both at the sweets trolley, but she held on to the idea that he could maybe be a good person.

That was until the fight in the corridor. She couldn't quite believe what she was hearing, or that he was judging them before he even got to know them. With a jolt, Rose realised that she did the exact same, except she had the decency to believe he was a good person before she spoke to him. Scorpius had done basically the opposite.

"You better change into your robes" Jennifer spoke, breaking into Rose's thoughts. "We'll be arriving soon."

"You okay Rose?" Albus asked. "You looked deep in thought."

"Oh, yes, I'm fine. Let's change into our robes."

A few minutes later, they were all sitting in their robes, and the butterflies in Rose's stomach were going crazy. Jennifer was sitting in her Ravenclaw robes and staring out the window. Apparently, even third years didn't lose their excitement at seeing Hogwarts again. Rose nervously moved to sit next to Jennifer, desperate to see the castle for the first time. Albus also moved along the bench until he was squashed against Rose, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"There it is!" Jennifer gasped.

The train rounded a hill, and Hogwarts came into view. It was breathtaking. Hundreds of windows were lit up, the golden light standing out against the dark sky. The many towers reached up and blended in with the black night, making them seem endless and untouchable. The lake shimmered, glossy black to match the sky, while the moon hung high above the castle, casting a pale light over everything. It was the most beautiful thing Rose had ever seen.

"Wow" she said softly.

"I know" Albus agreed.

"I never get tired of seeing that castle" Jennifer said dreamily. "It's a truly beautiful place. You're both going to love it."

None of them spoke as the train slowed down; they just watched the castle steadily coming closer. It seemed so huge, and Albus wondered how long you would have to be there to know every corridor, room and staircase and not get lost. Maybe you never truly did.

"We're here" Jennifer said lightly, and she jumped off her seat and headed towards the door. "You two had better get out now, the platform is crazy with all the students. Turn left when you get off; that's where Hagrid will meet you to take you across in the boats."

Albus and Rose nodded and left the room after her. The platform really was crazy, and Rose grabbed the sleeve of Albus's robe to make sure they weren't separated.

"Jennifer said to go left, let's go now before it gets busier. I don't like being in big crowds."

Albus nodded and led them along the platform, weaving in and out of the crowds of people. It took longer than it should, as they started near the opposite side of the platform. Then they heard a large, booming voice.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here!"

Rose and Albus grinned and ran forward. They had only met Hagrid a few times when they were very little, but they knew he kept in touch with Albus's dad, and he often sent them small gifts, like sweets, at Christmas and birthdays. The first time he sent over home-made rock cakes, they couldn't understand why their parents all refused to eat them when they saw them, and were even more confused as to why they seemed to be laughing at the unsuspecting children. This didn't last long – James swore his teeth have never been the same since.

"Hagrid!" Albus yelled.

"Yeh must be Albus!" He yelled over the heads of the other first years. He held out a hand the size of a dustbin lid and shook Albus's whole arm. "Yeh look so much like yer father, could tell who yeh were straight away!" He grinned.

"Hello Hagrid" Rose smiled shyly.

"An' this must be Rosie!" He also shook Rose's arm before standing up straight to speak to the other first years gathered around that had been watching with interest the meeting between the three. "Alright you lot, follow me to the boats!"

Rose and Albus led the group of nervous looking first years, walking just behind Hagrid. "You two will have to come visit me hut sometime, yeh can tell me all about the first few days at Hogwarts! Yer brother still visits sometimes too. It'll be just like when yer parents were here." Hagrid smiled at the fond memories, and Rose and Albus smiled back. They knew they were going to Hogwarts knowing a lot more people than many others. They already knew two professors fairly well – Hagrid and Neville Longbottom. They also knew a few third years, mainly friends of James's and a few people in other years. Considering how well known their parents were (and it was something of a relief to know why now) it would be near impossible to not know other wizarding families.

The small group had reached the lake, and they all crowded round a large group of boats.

"Climb in!" Hagrid yelled. "No more'n four to a boat!"

Albus and Rose quickly scrambled into the nearest boat, and they watched the rest of their fellow first years separate into small groups and climb into their own boats. Albus and Rose were followed by two boys, one with very short brown hair and the other with messy dirty blonde hair that fell into his eyes. The boats then moved themselves, Hagrid in front in a boat of his own. Rose reached over to slightly dip her fingers into the cool water, watching the ripples it made on the surface. The boats didn't affect the water at all; it remained still as if it was made of glass.

The students looked up excitedly as they moved closer to the castle, and they could soon make out individual windows and high arches. The boats moved steadily over to the cliff that the castle stood on by the lakeside, and they all ducked their heads on Hagrid's orders, sailing through a curtain of ivy into a gap in the cliff face. Rose could just make out the huge grin on Albus's face in the dim light, and she couldn't help but smile too. They continued down a dark tunnel until they reached an underground harbour. Scrambling onto the rocks, they followed Hagrid down another dark tunnel, guided by his lamp, and soon found themselves standing outside again on damp grass right outside the huge castle. All the first years craned their necks as they walked to stare up at the school, trying to take it all in at once.

They walked up a flight of stone steps that led to the huge, oak front door, and Hagrid knocked three times with his huge fist. There was a sound of quiet, excited whispers amongst the first years, and Albus fidgeted from one foot to another in apprehension.

Suddenly golden light shone on them as the front doors opened, and they all squinted slightly at the change in light. They looked around to see who had opened the doors, until they noticed the tiny wizard standing in the doorway, smaller than any of them. In fact, next to Hagrid, he was positively tiny.

"Firs' years Professor Flitwick" said Hagrid.

"Ah, thank you Hagrid" he replied in a squeaky voice that fitted him perfectly. "Follow me students."

They followed him into the huge entrance hall, passed the Great Hall (many students stared at the closed doors with a look of longing when the smell of food reached them), and entered a small chamber.

Professor Flitwick began to give them the usual welcoming speech, but Rose tuned it out, having heard it told to her by her parents and James when she was younger. Instead, she slightly turned her head to look around without making it obvious that she wasn't listening. Out of the corner of her eye, she realised Scorpius Malfoy was standing to her left, just slightly behind her. _Why on earth was her heart suddenly beating so fast? _She forced herself to focus on one of the portraits in the room, but she suddenly sensed a pair of eyes watching her. And she was pretty sure they were grey eyes. _Could he hear her heart getting faster when she saw him? Focus on the painting Rosie_ she thought. _Focus on the painting..._

She heard the door close and realised Professor Flitwick had left, so she turned to Albus to talk to him, welcoming a distraction.

"Are you still nervous about being sorted?" She asked quietly.

"A little, but I spoke to dad before we left, and I feel a lot better now about it. Although it would be nice to be in Gryffindor like my brother, and no doubt you'll get in there too, I'll be okay with anything else."

"I might not be in Gryffindor; I think I'm more of a Ravenclaw to be honest. Mum said she was going to be put in that house at first too. But don't worry, I'll still speak to you even if you do end up in Slytherin" she said with a laugh.

"Slytherin?" A voice suddenly asked from behind her. Rose turned around, knowing exactly who had spoken and knowing she wouldn't like this conversation one bit.

"Will you stop eavesdropping please? We're talking and don't want any of your silly interruptions."

"I was just going to say, there's no way in hell he'd become a Slytherin. Just as well; I don't really want him in my house anyway."

"_Your _house? No-one knows what house they're going to be in."

"My entire family has been in Slytherin for centuries, and I definitely have the characteristics of a Slytherin." He drawled.

"Yeah, like being an evil git" Albus muttered.

"What was that Potter?" he yelled, just as Rose gasped "Albus!"

Albus didn't look at either of them, instead stared at the floor, clearly not meaning for his comment to be heard.

"You better watch out Potter, otherwise you'll regret saying that. And I swear, if you do become a Slytherin, I will personally make sure you never get more than one foot inside the common room." he hissed.

Albus continued to stare at the floor, leaving Rose and Scorpius in a staring contest neither of them wanted to lose. She didn't know how, but she would make him feel sorry for insulting her family on the train, and constantly annoying her, turning up when he wasn't wanted, making her heart beat faster and her palms slightly sweaty...

The door to the chamber opened suddenly, and Scorpius and Rose quickly looked away from each, arranging their facial expressions so they no longer looked like the hoped to kill someone by simply looking at them.

"Everyone form a single line please" Professor Flitwick's voice was heard, but he wasn't seen over the crowd of students. Rose went to join the line, Albus behind her, when a blonde head suddenly darted in front of her. She could practically feel his smug smile from behind him as she was forced to walk after him, staring at his blonde hair. This was going to be a _long_ year.

* * *

><p><strong>I was really worried about writing Hagrid's accent, I've never done that before and didn't want it to sound dumb. I always cringe when people do a poor job of writing accents, so I hope mine won't make you do the same!<strong>

**So will Albus end up in Gryffindor? Or could he face a year of torture with Scorpius in Slytherin? My logical head is telling me one thing, but my powers as author to write whatever I want is tempting me haha. Maybe he'll be in Hufflepuff :P**

**Let me know what you thought of the chapter please, and I'll update very soon xxxxxx**


	4. The Sorting

**(A/N) I know, it's been ages since I updated and I'm really sorry, but a combination of school work, school tests and personal things that made me lose all motivation to continue delayed me for a while. But I'm back with loads of ideas so hopefully you won't have to wait long for the next one :) Enjoy!**

**P.S. Have you ever stopped to consider how many children there are in the Weasley family now? I spent nearly an hour sorting them into different year groups and houses incase I want to mention them in my story...**

**Disclaimer: I know I'm not J.K. Rowling, you know I'm not J.K. Rowling, so obviously I own nothing but plot and new characters**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter Four<span>

It had possibly been the longest half hour of Rose's life. No matter how much she told herself she didn't care which house she ended up in, she couldn't help but feel beyond nervous standing in front of the entire school. Oh, and her nerves definitely didn't improve when she accidently brushed her shoulder with Scorpius's. They had only gotten worse as she felt an involuntary blush creep up her cheeks. She knew it would show too – damn her pale skin.

When they were all lined up with their backs to their teachers, Flitwick had carried over a small stool and a pointed hat, which was extremely tattered and frayed, and covered in patches. Then, they had watched as a small slit near the base suddenly opened wider, and it began to sing a song about the school and the different houses – the brave and chivalrous Gryffindors, the loyal and patient Hufflepuffs, the intelligent and witty Ravenclaws, and the cunning and ambitious Slytherins. Rose had sneaked a side-ways glance at Scorpius when it described Slytherin, the house he was so sure he would be in. The Sorting Hat certainly made Slytherins sound a lot nicer than their reputation. Scorpius suddenly turned his head slightly and caught her looking at him, and gave her a small smirk, forcing her head back to face the front, the blush on her cheeks growing again.

When the Sorting Hat had finished its song and the Great Hall had erupted into a round of applause, Flitwick opened a long roll of parchment, the end reaching the floor and rolling away from him.

"Ainsworth, Sarah!" He called out in his squeaky voice. A red-haired girl walked forward, visibly shaking from head to toe as she moved in front of the stool, and then slowly sat down. Flitwick reached up to place the Sorting Hat on her head, and it slipped over her eyes. Then there was silence.

"RAVENCLAW!" It suddenly yelled out for the whole room to hear. Sarah pulled the hat off, grinning broadly as she ran to join the table second from the left, where her new house was applauding her.

"Battersby, John!"

The boy with short brown hair that has joined Albus and Rose on the boat walked forward.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The table on the far left cheered and applauded as he ran over happily.

Rose watched excitedly as her fellow class mates were sorted. "Conner, David" became the first Hufflepuff, and the hat finally called out "SLYTHERIN!" when Dumont, Cassandra sat beneath it.

And so it continued, until... "Malfoy, Scorpius!"

Scorpius sauntered forwards, and Rose found she was holding her breath. What the hell was she holding her breath for? She slowly let it out, trying not to let Albus notice.

To Rose's surprise, the hat took longer to decide Scorpius's fate than she expected. Instead of it yelling out "SLYTHERIN!" the second it touched his head, as she had predicted, it sat there for about fifteen seconds. But the outcome was the same anyway.

"SLYTHERIN!" It finally yelled. Rose watched Scorpius walk over to the table second from the right cheering loudly, and she felt...actually, she didn't know what she felt. It was a sort of mixture of '_I can't believe he was right and ended up there' _and '_to be honest, did you expect him anywhere else?_'

Rose remained deep in thought until she heard "Potter, Albus!"

She gave Albus's hand a quick squeeze as he walked forwards, slowly. Rose really held her breath this time as she watched the top of his head disappear under the hat, and she didn't care who noticed.

The time Albus spent under the hat seemed to drag on for Rose, although it was probably only a short period of time. Then, the slit in the hat slowly opened to announce his house.

"Weasley, Rose!"

Rose was one of three students left standing in front of the school. When her name was called, the sick feeling that had been gathering in her stomach since Albus joined his house began to grow stronger, and she wasn't sure her legs would support her walk over to the hat. She felt every pair of eyes on her, and even heard a few whispers, although they were nothing compared to the ones that filled the air when Albus went forward.

"Weasley?"

"Oh my gosh, it's another Weasley!"

"Not just any Weasley, that's _Ron_ Weasley's kid..."

Rose gladly embraced the darkness and silence that wrapped around her when the Sorting Hat was placed on her head. Then a small voice spoke in her ear.

"Hmm...Weasley, plenty of courage like your parents I see, and a bright mind, very bright...but also fiercely loyal...which house do you belong to?"

Rose closed her eyes, knowing that although she hoped to be with Albus (because they really were inseparable at times), in the end she didn't mind where she ended up.

"I've got it now, one house that will suit you perfectly...GRYFFINDOR!"

Rose heard the hat yell out her house to the whole room, and she happily pulled off the hat and handed it to Professor Flitwick. She then ran to the table where her fellow Gryffindors were applauding and cheering her, and she sat down opposite a beaming Albus.

Once the table had calmed down again, they watched the rest of the sorting, as "Young, Britney" became a Hufflepuff and "Zane, Michael" joined the Ravenclaws.

After Flitwick had rolled up the scroll again and moved the stool and Sorting Hat out of the room, the room watched as an elderly witch stood up from the seat in the middle of the staff table.

"Attention students!" She called. "Welcome new first years, my name is Professor McGonagall and I am Headmistress of Hogwarts. Now before I go over the usual welcoming speech, I invite you all to enjoy your lovely feast. Dig in!"

And with that, the plates along the tables were suddenly filled with food. Beef, chicken, sausages, potatoes, soup of every flavour, peas, sweet corn, chips, pies, and oddly, mint humbugs.

Rose and Albus dug into the food and began to chat with the other first years that had been sorted into Gryffindor.

"My name's Claire Weathers by the way" a blonde haired girl said to Rose.

"Oh hi, nice to meet you. I'm Rose Weasley."

"Yes, you're Ron and Hermione Weasley's daughter, right?"

"Um, yeah I am" Rose replied, becoming embarrassed and feeling a blush grow across her cheeks.

"Wow, what's it like to have them as your parents?"

"Normal, I guess. I actually didn't know they were famous until today. Neither did Albus."

"What?" she cried, looking from her to Albus across the table. "You didn't know all the amazing things your parents did?"

"Well, we knew they helped in the Wizarding War, but they never told us _how _much they helped." Albus spoke.

"Why, what did they do?" the boy Rose remembered to be John Battersby jumped in.

"What, you don't know either?" Claire asked incredulously.

"I'm muggle-born" he shrugged.

"Oh, I guess that's understandable then, but it's your _parents_..."

"I know, Claire, I wish they had told us. We had to find out from James what they had done."

"Who's James?" Claire and John asked together.

"My older brother" Albus replied. "He's in Gryffindor too, in third year."

"We have quite a few relatives here at Hogwarts actually. The Weasley family is a very large family" Rose said proudly.

"Do they all know the truth?"

"I would think so. If James knows, they'll know."

There was a moment of silence which Rose and Albus were thankful for, as they were both fed up of feeling like they should know more than they did. _Why_ didn't their parents tell them the truth?

"So John..." Claire started. "What was it like growing up in the muggle world?"

After a delicious main course followed by a mouth-watering dessert, Rose and Albus were feeling pretty full and imagining their comfortable beds that would be waiting for them.

"Just a few words now before you all head up to bed" McGonagall spoke again. "There is a long list of forbidden items which can be found posted on our caretaker Mr Filch's office door. Prefects should know to confiscate any items from pupils that are on the list.

"The Forbidden Forest is off-limits to all pupils due to the large number of dangerous creatures that reside there, and it is very easy to become lost in its depths. You have been warned."

Rose gulped and made a mental note to never enter one toe into that forest.

"Quidditch trials are held in the second week of term. I would like to point out that no first years are allowed to play, except for under special circumstances."

Albus grinned. He knew his father's natural talent for Quidditch had been one of those 'special circumstances'.

"Now, all of you, off to bed! Classes begin at nine am tomorrow."

There was a loud sound of many feet supporting heavy stomachs hitting the ground as everyone stood and made their way out of the Great Hall. Rose and Albus, along with their fellow first year Gryffindors, followed their prefect, one of which just happened to be...

"Molly!" Rose cried, and she ran forwards to hug her cousin. "We never saw you on the train!"

"Well I was very busy Rosie, as a prefect I have to patrol the corridors."

"And a right fine job of it you did too, love how you stopped that idiot Malfoy from stunning me" James said sarcastically as he walked past his family members.

Molly, however, wasn't fazed. "Hang on, are you telling me a _first year_ managed to beat you in a fight? Wow, you're right James, I'm sorry I wasn't there. Because that would have been absolutely hilarious!" She laughed. James just scowled and continued walking with his friends.

"Honestly Albus, I don't know how you put up with him" Molly commented.

"Neither do I, but you manage to deal with him pretty well" he said with a grin. Although he was close with everyone in his family, he particularly liked Molly, simply because she was one of the few people that didn't put up with James's cocky attitude, and was never afraid to knock him down a peg. This only seemed to infuriate James more, and it was almost his daily task when he saw Molly to find some way to upstage her; so far, he had been unsuccessful.

The students continued to follow Molly up various staircases and through tapestries and secret doors, and she gave a running commentary about Hogwarts and the life there. Eventually they arrived at a portrait of a large woman in a pink silk dress.

"Password?" She asked.

"Hungarian Horntail" Molly recited clearly for everyone to hear.

The portrait swung forward and everyone climbed through the portrait hole behind it, entering a warm, circular room decorated in red and gold. It was filled with small tables and squashy armchairs, and there was a large fireplace at one end. The girls were led to one door marking the entrance to their dormitories, and the boys were led to another.

Rose climbed the spiral staircase, looking forward to collapsing on her bed with every step. It had been an eventful day and she couldn't wait for the next one to come around. She and the other first year girls stopped when they reached a door with a sign saying 'first years'. Smiling, Rose pushed open the door.

There were four four-poster beds with red curtains spaced evenly around the circular room, bedside tables, and a small stove in the centre of the room. Their trunks had already been placed at the foot of their beds.

"Wow!" A girl with long, dark red hair exclaimed, dashing over to one of the windows. "This is amazing! We're so high, the view's great! And the room is...wow!"

The other girls laughed at the girl's excitement, and looked around the room with smiles on their faces. "My name's Taylor Gilbert by the way" the excited girl said as she climbed onto her bed and assumed a kneeling position.

"Claire Weathers"

"Becky Thomson"

"Rose Weasley"

The four girls changed into their pyjamas and climbed into bed, making small conversation until they fell asleep. Eventually, Rose was the only one still awake. Her life was so different now, she was at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, finally getting to learn magic properly, facing new challenges and meeting new people. She was beyond excited. But why, instead of focussing on all that, was she constantly thinking about a pair of grey eyes and an arrogant smirk, and feeling anything but disdain or hatred towards him?

* * *

><p><strong>I know not much happens in this chapter, it was really just to let you know what house everyone is in and to introduce you to various characters. I had seriously considered writing a song for the sorting hat, but I didn't want to make you wait any longer for this chapter! Plus it probably would've been rubbish. <strong>

**So let me know what you thought of this chapter please! Next chapter will be more interesting, I promise xxx**


	5. Trophy Room Confrontation

Chapter Five

Scorpius Malfoy woke up early, surrounded by a deep green canopy, blocking out all light except for a small sliver of weak morning sunshine that slipped through a gap in the hangings. He would never show it, but he was ecstatic to finally be at Hogwarts. Sure, he had been around magic his entire life, and therefore the concept wasn't new to him, unlike muggle-borns, or even kids that had grown up with one magical parent and one muggle parent. But actually being here, learning magic every day, and being able to _perform_ magic every day, that was something new and it excited him. But he was a Malfoy, and Malfoy's were always calm and proud. Years of watching his father had shown him that. But that didn't mean his father was cold and unfeeling; far from it. He had always been a loving father, spending time with him when he was able, and was always happy to talk to him and offer advice if needed.

But the Malfoy name was still a proud one. Although, Scorpius did sometimes get the feeling that that wasn't always the case. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he always got the feeling that his family was trying to regain some honour. Why, he didn't know. He wasn't even sure, it was just a feeling he had, but it was hard to tell. If his family had lost some respect, it was well regained before he was born.

He wondered what time it was. He couldn't hear any movement, just the heavy breathing of his dorm-mates as they slept. He supposed he was free to get up and wander around, but it was likely he would get lost in the many corridors and moving staircases.

He rolled over to his side and closed his eyes, hoping he could fall back asleep.

But after what was probably only fifteen minutes, but felt much longer, he gave up and rolled onto his back again, his eyes staring at the canopy above him. As long as he didn't travel far, and remembered whether he turned right or left, he should be able to explore a little without getting lost. With a strong sense of determination, he quietly got out of bed and dressed in his new Slytherin robes. He looked at the green emblem of a Snake sewn onto them with a sense of pride, and a small smirk crept along his face as he walked out of the dormitory and into the Common Room. _Just as well I like the bloody colour green _he thought as he examined his surroundings.

As he expected, everywhere he looked was void of people, including the dim dungeon corridors. But he supposed many people didn't come down here anyway. His footsteps echoed against the stone walls, the noise loud and foreign compared to the previous silence.

He thought hard about how he arrived to the Slytherin Common Room last night, and he managed to find his way into the Entrance Hall. He was secretly relieved – he didn't fancy roaming around the dungeons by himself, completely lost.

He quickly glanced into the Great Hall and only saw one or two people that were clearly early risers. There weren't even any teachers yet.

Deciding he would much rather wait and eat when there were more Slytherins about, he continued up the Grand Staircase, remembering to keep track of where he went. _First floor...Second floor...Third floor..._ He stopped here. He didn't want to travel _too_ far, but he wasn't going to be some sissy Hufflepuff, too scared to travel one corridor away from his Common Room.

He walked along the corridor, passing various portraits and un-marked doors. After mentally noting that he had taken a right, he noticed a set of double doors with small stain-glass windows at the top. Stepping right up so that his nose was pressed against the glass, he realised it was the (absolutely huge) library. It was even bigger than the library at Malfoy Manor, and he didn't realise until now that they could possibly get any bigger. It was an endless labyrinth of bookcases that nearly reached the ceiling, covering every wall except for where there was a window, casting a shaft of light into the room, reflecting the dust particles that danced in the air. There were small desks placed here and there around the room, each with a small candle. He supposed it could look quite cosy and welcoming during the day and in the evenings...

Scorpius pulled away from the door. There was still more exploring to be done, and no doubt he would be spending a fair amount of time in the library anyway. If there was one thing Scorpius enjoyed doing, it was reading. He was never one to enjoy being ignorant of anything, and most days at home he spent in the library, absorbing as much information as he could. He wouldn't say he was the smartest person his age, but he was certainly above average. Malfoy's were never average at anything.

As he continued along the corridor (_take another right_) he remembered his father telling him that there had been a girl in his year who was top of nearly every class. Although he hated her during their school years, he had accepted it after they left. Scorpius asked what class she hadn't been top in. _"Potions"_ his father had answered with a smirk, and he didn't need to ask who had been top.

Still, it seemed strange that his father would hate a girl just because she beat him in most classes. But his father was a proud person. It must have slightly hurt his ego that someone was better than him. And a girl too.

Speaking of girls...

Why was that Rose Weasley girl wandering the corridors by herself as well?

He just noticed a head of brown curls passing a statue of a one-eyed witch, and entering a door on the opposite wall. Curiosity getting the better of him and unwilling to pass up a chance of goading her a little, he followed her.

* * *

><p>Rose had found it difficult to sleep; she was just too excited! It was that reason that had led her to leaving Gryffindor Tower to explore the castle. And she knew exactly where she wanted to go – the third floor. Her mum had told her that was where the library and trophy room were, and she couldn't wait to discover them for herself.<p>

She was pretty sure it wasn't against the rules to be up this early, but she wasn't sure if she was allowed to be in the trophy room at this hour. So it was with this in mind that she silently crept around the various trophy cabinets, looking at each person's name and what they were awarded with. She smiled when she found a Quidditch photo with her dad and uncle grinning broadly. She then continued to look around – if her family really had played such a significant part in the War, surely they must be mentioned here for something other than Quidditch.

She quietly walked over to a cabinet holding awards for special services to the school. There were a few names she recognised – Lovegood, Longbottom, Creevy, Abbott, Patil, Wea-

"Hoping to get your name on a plaque, Weasley?" Rose jumped at the voice behind her. "Have a moment of fame for your family?"

Rose turned round to face him. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack? Why did you creep up on me like that?"

Scorpius smirked at her. "And here I thought Gryffindors were meant to be brave. Besides, I didn't creep up on you. You just weren't listening."

"Well I didn't expect anyone else to be here at this time." She admitted. "And I am brave! You were just being a typical Slytherin, sneaking around, turning up when you're not wanted."

Scorpius put a hand over his chest and feigned a hurt look. "Ouch, Weasley. That hurt. You've really hurt my feelings."

"I'm surprised you have feelings at all" she muttered, turning back to examine the trophies in the cabinet.

It was silent for a moment as Rose continued to look for something significant. And although she found awards with the Weasley names, they were just her uncles' and aunt's names, thanking them for their large involvement in various events and groups defending the school. But she found no mention of her parents or her uncle Harry. This made her frown in frustration.

"What's wrong with you?" Scorpius asked, seeing the look of her face.

"Mind your own business" Rose retorted.

"No need to be so rude" he replied, folding his arms. "What are you looking for?"

Rose was silent, debating whether she should even speak to him at all. When it seemed like she wasn't going to speak, Scorpius made a small huffing noise and turned to look at some photos on the walls. He had just located the Slytherin Quidditch team photos and was searching for his father when she spoke.

"James said that my parents and his dad were involved in the Wizarding War."

"So?" He asked, still looking at the photos. "Most people were involved in that war; I know my father was."

"Do you know how much of a part he played in it?" she asked, turning to look at him.

He turned to look at her, opened his mouth to reply, then turned back to the wall with a frown on his face and his brow furrowed with confusion. He actually _didn't_ know how his father was involved. Looking back, he had always avoided discussing the war with him, besides giving him the basic facts about it.

Rose guessed he wasn't going to answer her. "Well, James said that his dad, Harry, was very important in the war, and that Voldemort wanted to kill him, but-"

"Yeah, yeah, Harry Potter killed him because he was the Chosen One, he and his friends found the horcruxes which led to his death, blah blah blah, are we done with the history lesson? Everyone knows this!"

"You knew as well?" She asked incredulously.

"Well yeah, of course I did...Didn't you?" He asked, turning to face her again. Rose however, was the one to turn away this time. She was finding it very difficult to look at him, especially now he was making her feel foolish.

"No, neither did Albus. We only found out when we got on the train, and James told us. He didn't know until he came to Hogwarts either."

"Well that's dumb, why wouldn't your parents tell you? It was pretty stupid of them to send you to a school full of wizards and not expect you to find out."

"Don't call my parents stupid!" She spat, turning to face him fully. "I'm sure they had a good reason for it. What about you?" she continued when Scorpius rolled his eyes. "You obviously don't know what your parents did in the war either or you would have said something. Unless they weren't on the good side and you won't admit it."

"Don't you dare! You don't know my family okay? Who do you think you are, suggesting that? Just mind your own business."

"Fine, if you'll do the same! Just leave me alone."

Rose walked away to look at another shelf of trophies, leaving Scorpius to stare at her back, furious. How dare she suggest his parents were on the wrong side? If they were on the wrong side, they would be in Azkaban right now, not sitting comfortably in their Manor.

But why didn't he know what they had done in the war? Why had his father avoided telling him anything in detail? Was he hiding something?

He silently cursed at this brown-haired witch in front of him, hating her for making him doubt his family for even a second. She was wrong, and he stormed out the room telling himself that over and over.

Rose flinched as the door slammed shut, and she began to regret what she had said. She hadn't meant it, he had just got her so angry and made her feel stupid and ignorant, and she was determined to wipe that smug look off his face. _Well, you certainly did that Rosie..._

She groaned and left the room, guessing it was about time for breakfast. She would apologise for what she said, but she had a feeling he wouldn't be willing to talk to her for a while.

* * *

><p><strong>(AN) Hope you enjoyed! I didn't realise how long it was since I last updated, but I've got loads of good ideas for this story so I'm already a bit ahead.**

**Hope you liked the Rose/Scorpius drama, I know the last chapter was seriously lacking in it so I had to put some more in asap!**

**So please leave a review and let me know what you think, and if you have any ideas let me know, I might use them, giving full credit to you of course ;)**

**(Oh, and I chose to have their confrontation in the Trophy Room because that's where Draco Malfoy challenged Harry Potter to a wizards duel in Philosopher's Stone :) I like having pieces of their parent's past coming in, even if our lovely main characters aren't aware of it) **


End file.
